Staying Young

This is Rhonda, Cindy’s assistant. Today I’ve hijacked her blog and am filling in for her on the blogspot. I’ve worked in Cindy’s studio for almost two months, and have been able to meet some fabulous people. Most of the people who come in are Memorial moms, like me, but sometimes you meet a woman, or a group of women who are just so out of the ordinary, that you continue to think about them after they’ve left. Such was the case with Mary Wallace and her three sisters. “There were four sisters that came into the studio yesterday,” I said to my girlfriends on our morning run. “And they were in their sixties, seventies, and eighties… they looked so beautiful and vibrant...” and then I told my friends that Mary Wallace and her sisters were exactly how I wanted to look when I was well into my sixties and beyond.

What is the secret of aging gracefully? I think these sisters have found it. The secret is...are you ready for this? The secret is that there is no secret. There is not a product, a procedure, or a price for looking younger. As I approach my forties, I am coming to understand that aging gracefully is all about attitude. It's an attitude of living deliberately. Mary Wallace and her sisters understand that social connections, connections with family, like beloved sisters, are what keep us young. I'm starting to think that, in spite of our busy lives, having a social life and staying in touch with family is not an option -- it's a prescription. The power of human connection is what keeps us young, healthy, and alive. Staying young is about laughing over a glass of wine, sharing a secret, getting up before the busy-ness of the day begins to meet your friends for a run or a walk...its about making sure you attend bunco night, or the Happy Hour, or make the effort to go to the neighborhood party.

If you are like me, you are so busy your head spins. I have four children all still at home, a husband with a demanding job, and commitments like crazy. Sometimes when I get an Evite, or another invitation, my first impulse is to blow it off. But what if, from now on, we sought out people? What if, at least once a day, we tried to reach out to someone, to make a phone call or take a walk with an old friend? I don't know that the lines on my face will disappear. I'm sure my hair will still be gray, but I'm almost certain my countenance will be changed.